Kelly Clarkson “All I Ever Wanted”

Rating: 6/10

Kelly Clarkson’s fourth studio album, “All I Ever Wanted,” hit the shelves Tuesday after controversy, Billboard records being broken and an appearance on “American Idol.”

By looking at the album’s track listing, one would guess that Clarkson’s focus behind her new album is lost love and a broken heart. That assumption would be right.

The pop star holds strong vocals throughout “All I Ever Wanted,” but the sound is similar to her previous work, and it seems as though there isn’t much defining this release from those of the past.

The first single, “My Life Would Suck Without You,” has become a huge radio hit since its debut. The song is catchy, yes, but again, nothing spectacular considering Clarkson’s two year gap between releases.

She should have come back with a bang. “All I Ever Wanted” is nothing more than what we’ve heard from the starlet in previous years.

Another song, “Long Shot,” has a slightly different sound, perhaps the direction that Clarkson should’ve gone with. The song highlights her vocal range along with heavier guitar riffs that make it more intriguing than the rest of the songs on the album.

“I Want You” is very different but almost too far from Clarkson’s style. It definitely doesn’t deserve a second listen and is by far the worst track on the CD.

It seems as though the first “American Idol” winner was trying to experiment with different styles but ended up playing it safe and sticking with her original sound. “All I Ever Wanted” has its catchy parts, but nothing really stands out.